Picture Book Saturday

My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.)
By Peter Brown
Published 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
So, I love Peter Brown. When I met him a few years ago, I was actually impressed with myself that I was able to hold a normal conversation with him. As you can imagine, this means I'm constantly anticipating his next book. This one was a bit of a let-down for me. It has some of the charm of his earlier books, and definitely his signature style, but I wonder if the story is one that won't resonate with children as deeply as his previous titles. To me, this is a book that will certainly appeal to adult readers, particularly to teachers or those in similar professions. It may do well with elementary readers, but I think it will be a bit lost on preschoolers. It's fun and, as always, the illustrations are genius. Not my favorite, but I'll continue to anticipate each new Brown book.

A Perfect Place for Ted
By Leila Rudge
Published 2014 by Candlewick Press
Ted is an adorable little dog in a sweater at the pet store. Unfortunately, he keeps being left behind - no one chooses Ted. So, Ted decides to take matters into his own hands. Kids will enjoy his adventures as he tries to figure out which place will be best for him and, though the ending is predictable, it's also sweet, guaranteed to charm the preschool audience. The illustrations are soft and lovely, making this a quiet kind of story. This will definitely please young readers as well.


A New Friend for Marmalade
By Alison Reynolds, illustrated by Heath McKenzie
Published 2014 by Little Simon
I thought the previous book about Marmalade and his people was absolutely charming, so I was pleased to see a new adventure for the friends. In this book, a new boy arrives in the neighborhood. Ella and Maddy, Marmalade's human friends, are not so keen on this new boy, but Marmalade doesn't seem to mind him much. But when Marmalade gets into some trouble, who will help him out? I love the illustrations - they look a bit like a coloring book that someone has started on but then walked away from (I mean this in a good way). I think the message is cute as well and would work in a storytime about friendship. Very sweet.

More and More
By Emma Dodd
Published 2014 by Templar Books
I don't have a whole lot to say about this one. I think a lot of Dodd's books fall into the same category - a sweet tale about love - and this is no exception. In this version, a monkey learns that a parent's love only grows more and more with each passing day. It's very sweet and the illustrations are perfect for very young readers, but it's nothing terribly unique. If you like one Dodd book, chances are you'll like them all. I like them, so I liked this one. As a bonus, this one has some gold sparkles on the pages, adding a bit of glimmer to the story.